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Panford Jr. (Fante), and Gabriel Asoanab Abudu (Bissa), my inquisitive aim was pointed in the right direction. Their contacts in Ghana, especially those of Dr. Aning, made my nebulous dream become a vividly living reality. Without these supportive Ghanaian contacts, the location (in Ghana) of the descendants of African returnees from the Diaspora would have remained a mystery. In addition to offering cultural advice, Dr. Panford graciously proofread and edited the first draft on Latino phenotypes, as well as the outline and subsequent development of the draft on the Tabom “returnees.” His “native” point of view, coupled with his training in literary criticism, gave me the confidence of knowing that I was heading in the right direction and had shown respect for and comprehension of the subject matter. Dr. Abudu, for his part, assured me that all Ghanaians are acquainted with the Gold Coast's role in American slavery, and in songs and poetry give passing thought to the return of spirits to their homeland(s). In addition, the material on Guillén, Morejón, and Saldaña, that he so willingly made available to me, was of immense aid. Finally, it was a trip to Ghana to read a paper at the First International Conference on Afro-Hispanic, Luso-Brazilian, and Latin American Studies at the University of Ghana in Accra, where thoughts, doubts, suggestions, and introductions were to become concretized into manuscript form.
Contacts in Ghana
In Ghana proper, nothing would have been accomplished without the brotherly welcome and gracious reception that I was offered by his Excellency, the chief of the Tabom clan, Nii Azumah Nelson V. My questions for him were many; his answers were freely given. The chief's kindness in giving me a personal tour of the Brazil House site in the Tabom neighborhood of the Jamestown section of Accra not only made the history of returning ex-slaves come vividly alive, but also assured me of his sincere interest and desire to cooperate with my project. Due to the chief's guidance, I found that there were still Tabom subjects in the Jamestown area that revered the chief's imposing link to their history and viewed his iconic public image as their historical connection. Many thanks also to